Son Of A Thranduil?
by kingofsmirkwood
Summary: Thranduil gazed at the mortal woman that stood before him in contempt. 'It is an impossib-' '-Improbable.' His eye twitched at her interruption but his face remained impassive. 'It is an IMPOSSIBLE notion that you claim to be true.' She smiled wryly. 'And yet here we are.' Basically what The Hobbit would have been like if Legolas had been born to one of Bard's (OC) daughters. T/OC
1. Every Great Story Has A Beginning

Erica smiled in satisfaction as she stood facing the, now clean, kitchen. She had spent the better part of her day dusting and wiping, all in an attempt to distract herself from the cold, harsh weather that was waiting on the other side of the door. She sighed and raked her hands through her curly mid-length brown hair in a vain effort to try and make it look presentable, though she knew _that_ would never be possible.

She hadn't always felt like this, an older woman trapped inside a younger body. Her eyes, which once sparkled like emeralds when she smiled, had dark circles lining them, and her frame was now much thinner than it should have been for someone her age.

She chuckled darkly to herself as she walked through to the main room of the house, her movements sluggish, and her back aching.

'You deserve everything that comes to you Erica. You were the one who- No! Legolas! Don't put that in your mouth!'

Erica ran over to the elfling and pulled the small shoe from his hand, sighing slightly when he began to sniffle. She scooped him up in her arms and began to walk back and forth in the small room, the last light of day shining upon them, as she rocked him gently. She smiled softly at him when he let out a small sneeze and she bopped his little nose in affection.

As she gazed down at him she pondered how he had come to be and the actions that had occurred leading up to it.

 _'And what is a young woman doing,_ alone _, in these woods?'_

 _Erica spun around at the arrival of the new voice, her long hair rippling like a chocolate waterfall down her back. Her wide eyes focused on the stranger. He was tall, immensely tall and very lithe, and had long straight hair, the colour reminding her of the light of a full moon, that had two perfectly pointed ears sticking out of it, and he was dressed in the finest clothes. Clothes she knew even the Master could not afford._

 _She pulled at her torn dress, the voice in her head that had been telling her it was a good idea to come, silenced._

 _'I-I seek sanctuary, h-here.'_

 _She curtsied, the movement feeling foreign to her small body, but in her mind she felt it was the right thing to do. It seemed to appease him, for he smiled a beautiful smile, and she felt entranced by it._

 _'Is that so? And what, exactly, is it you seek sanctuary from?' His voice was smooth, dangerous, as he slowly moved towards her._

 _She was silent for a few moments, for she did not know how to answer his question. What_ was _she running from? Was it her family? Her town? Her_ life _?_

 _'I-I am not certain.' She whispered but he still managed to hear her, and he laughed. Erica thought it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. It was as harsh as the wind, but as melodic as a birdsong, as precious as gold but it sounded more silvery. But, like most beautiful things, it ended all too soon, leaving her disappointed and thirsty for more._

 _'Then why don't I help you?' He reached out a hand and she wasted no time in taking it, and as he pulled her towards him she-_

She was broken from her troubled thoughts when she felt a tiny hand press itself onto her cheek. She grinned down at her son and placed her much larger hand on his.

'Oh how the woes of life are swept away by the innocence of a child.'

Legolas flashed her a toothy grin and wriggled slightly, trying to get comfy in her arms. She rolled her eyes at his actions.

'You are fine _ionneg_. I will keep you in my arms for now.'

Erica paced a few more circuits of the room and relished in the silence that surrounded them. It was rare in her family of six for there ever to be any quiet.

'Erica! We're back from market!'

And it looks like she had spoken too soon.

'How _was_ the market?'

She peered over her shoulder as her two sisters walked through the front door.

'Great actually! Liw gave us a great deal on the vegetables!'

Erica smiled at Tilda's enthusiasm. As she was her youngest sibling she had always felt more protective around her. She caught Sigrid's eye and found that she was smiling at their sister too.

'Well then we better get them put away,' Erica walked over to the two, 'Sigrid can you hold Legolas while I help Tilda?'

'Of course sister,' She smiled at them both, 'You know I love my little nephew's company.'

Erica laughed.

'Yes I think you much prefer his company to the rest of the family.'

Sigrid swatted at her elder sister and carefully took the elfling in her arms. Legolas made a noise of disappointment as his mother passed him over but he quickly settled in his aunt's hold. They all smiled at him, surprised that someone so tiny could bring so much light into the darkness of the world.

'Right. Well, we better get these groceries put away Tilda.'

'Of course!'

Tilda ran over to the kitchen and placed the bags of goods on the wooden counter. Erica walked over and the two started the menial task of sorting and putting away what little fruits and vegetables there were. The three sisters made small talk as they worked and soon the job was finished. Tilda and Erica went and sat next to Sigrid and Legolas at the large table in the middle of the room.

'So, I forgot to ask...but where's Bain?' Erica raised a brow in question at her siblings.

'Oh, he went to wait near the gates to tell Da about the new watchers.' Tilda looked at her briefly before turning back to Legolas, a massive grin on her face as she cooed sweetly at him.

'Ah, he won't be long back then?'

'No, he should not be.' Tilda smiled at her, effectively soothing Erica, and her shoulders relaxed as a small smile crept up on her features while she watched her sisters play with her son.

She did tend to worry about her siblings. A trait that had become more prominent when she was unexpectedly thrust into motherhood where every small thing, every action, meant something.

And it was usually always bad, in her case, since her son was of mixed species.

The sisters stopped in their movements when they heard their father's voice outside the house. Erica watched as the two jumped up and made their way to the door, just as their father and brother stepped through, an icy wind following behind.

'Da! Where have you been?'

Erica smiled slightly at the worry she could hear in Tilda's voice. She was starting to sound like her.

'Father! There you are. I was worried.'

She frowned slightly at Sigrid's words. Now that she mentioned it, their father _was_ late returning home. She scooped Legolas up and walked to the door, opting to stand next to Sigrid, who was holding a bag of food. She raised her eyebrows at her father in question. He smiled sheepishly at her and opened his arms for a hug. She rolled her eyes but walked towards him, careful not to crush her son, and sighed at the sudden warmth and reassurance his arms brought.

'There's my big girl,' He kissed the top of her head before bending down to smile at the elfling in her arms, 'And there's my handsome young man.'

He kissed Legolas' nose, who giggled in response, his tiny arms reaching out for his grandfather. He made little noises that indicated he wanted him to hold him, and Bard laughed before taking the little elf and spinning with him in his arms. Erica looked on at the scene fondly before noticing that Bain was nowhere to be seen. She thought it strange, for she had seen him not but a moment before.

'Up there.'

She spun around at her brother's voice, expecting to see him walking towards her, but what she found was not her brother, but in fact, a dwarf? Her brow furrowed in confusion as she walked towards the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was not just one dwarf, but many! And they were climbing out of their toilet! Her mouth hung open slightly in shock and she rubbed at her eyes. Now she had seen many things before in her short life but this...this was truly a sight to behold.

'Da...why are there dwarves climbing out of our toilet?'

She vaguely registered Sigrid ask the question as she looked on, stunned, as more and more dwarves kept popping out. It was a question Erica wanted an answer to as well, however, and she nodded at her father in agreement.

'Will they bring us luck?'

That may not have been a question Erica wanted answered but it still made her smile, despite the current situation. She turned back to the dwarves and shook her head lightly, but her eyes soon came to rest on a dwarf that...didn't really look like a dwarf at all. He was smaller than the rest and wore clothing that was similar to them, but it was his feet that caught her attention. They were definitely the biggest she had ever seen before, and they were covered with fuzz! She would never admit it, but she was slightly envious of him. His feet did look warm with all that hair on them, and her boots weren't the best at keeping the cold out.

'What are you looking at girly?'

She blinked in surprise at the new voice and looked down to see that it was a bald headed dwarf, with interesting looking markings running from his forehead across to the back of his head, who spoke.

'Uh. N-nothing.'

She scurried over to her sisters, whose expressions mirrored her own, and she pinched herself to make sure she _wasn't_ dreaming.

* * *

 **Sooooo yeah. This was a little idea that came to me once and I thought I should just go with it. Not much is explained yet in this chapter, so it's kinda confusing, but all will be revealed. (insert mystical hands waving in front of your face)**

 **Oh and the Elvish translation:**

 ** _Ionneg - my son_**

 **For the rest of this story I will try to translate most things into Elvish, but if I can't it will be in italics.**

 **Oh and flashbacks and thoughts will be in italics too :)**

 **Love you all,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	2. There Are Dwarves In Our House

An hour later and all the dwarves had discarded their wet items of clothing, and were now standing in various points around the house, with blankets covering them, their bodies trembling with the cold.

Erica cradled her small, sleeping son close as she watched Tilda and her father hand out blankets to those who had not yet received any, and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to see that it was Sigrid, and she smiled at the small comfort her sister was trying to offer.

It was a well-known fact that since Legolas had been born, Erica did not handle drastic changes very well, _or_ a lot of people in the same place, at the same time. So, it was safe to say that she was not very comfortable with the situation she currently found herself in.

She scanned the room and let out a deep breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. She closed her eyes in a last attempt to try and calm herself.

 _No one here is going to hurt you. They are not like the people of Laketown. They do not know your past._

As her eyes were shut and her mind elsewhere, she did not hear, nor see, the dwarf that was approaching her until he spoke, and tore her from her mantra.

'Tis a bonnie wee lad you've got there lass.'

Erica's eyes flew open and focused on the dwarf standing in front of her. He was smaller than some of the others, although not as small as the one with the large feet, and had a long white beard that forked at the end into two different points.

She opened and shut her mouth like a fish out of water, unsure of what to say to him. In the end she settled for murmuring a small 'Thank you.' as she pulled the little bundle of fabric closer to her bosom. He chuckled at her and she looked at him in confusion.

'It's alright lass, no one here will hurt you,' She spluttered, trying to find the words that would least offend him but he just laughed at her again, 'I can see it in your eyes, you've a fighting spirit. No sane dwarf would try and place harm on you or your babe. A mother's wrath _is_ known to be the worst.'

His eyes twinkled in amusement and she couldn't help the smile that formed on her pink lips as he walked over to join his kin. She looked down at Legolas. He was wrapped up in one of her shirts so that only his face was showing. She knew that his pointed ears would draw unwanted attention from the present company, as she was aware of the bitterness the dwarves felt for the elves, and so she had thought to cover them.

She gazed down at her son, her heart beating painfully in her chest as it fought to soar in his bright blue skies. The love she felt for the tiny elf was unconditional, and she knew she would die for him if she needed to.

She hoped it would not come to that, but as she listened to the conversation which hummed around the room, she thought it possible that she might have to.

'-loosened a scale under the left wing. One more shot and he would have killed the beast.'

'Ha ha ha! That's a fairy story, lad. Nothing more.'

She frowned. She knew the story of her ancestor and his failure to kill the dragon, but why the dwarves were disproving it, she could not understand. Erica watched carefully as the leader of the company strode up to her father. She strained to hear what was said but was disappointed when she found she could not.

Her father swept down the stairs in an obvious search for something, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the small group of dwarves that formed soon after he left.

She stood up when she started to feel her bottom half go numb and walked over to where Bain and Tilda were standing. She was glad to see that they too were watching the dwarves in suspicion.

When her father came back, she watched as he placed a package on the table and smiled, amused, when all the dwarves migrated around it, like bees to a honey pot.

'What is this?'

She blinked when the leader spoke, surprised at the deepness of his voice, and her eyes widened when all the other dwarves joined in, yelling at her father that the weapons they had were 'not good enough'.

Her attention was stolen by her son however, when she heard him make a small whimpering noise. He opened his big blue eyes and looked at her in discomfort.

'Are you hungry _ionneg_?' She whispered, careful not to let the dwarves hear. Legolas wriggled uncomfortably in her arms, and she knew that he was about to throw a tantrum. She rushed out of the room and into the bedroom she shared with her sisters, where she pulled the top of her dress down and began breast feeding him.

Even though his elvish blood made him age faster, Erica did not have the means to feed her son solid food yet and so she still had to feed him milk. She didn't mind really. She rather enjoyed the experience, as it made her feel closer to him, and she did not have to worry about taking food from the rest of the family.

She smiled down at him and tapped his nose.

'Happy now, _penneth_?,' she asked, her face crinkled with amusement, 'You were ready to start quite the little fuss weren't you? Hm.' she hummed at him and smiled when his eyes focused on her.

She rearranged him so that he could drink from her other breast when he started to whimper again. Looking out of the window in the small room, she frowned at the darkness. The sky was black. There were no stars, no moon, nothing. Erica looked over to the Lonely Mountain, it's large presence menacing against the cold night sky. She had a bad feeling about this.

And when she had a feeling she was usually right.

So when she walked back into the main room to find none of the dwarves present, and her brother and sisters sitting there alone...she knew that the wheels of something big, something bad, had been set in motion...

* * *

 **Aah! Sorry this chapter's so short but I kinda like ending my stories on cliffhangers *laughs evilly*.**

 **I hope you like the story so far because I get really excited writing it which means shorter update time for you guys! Woo!**

 **Elvish translation:**

 ** _ionneg - my son_**

 ** _penneth - little one_**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	3. In Which There Is A Lot Of Running

Erica placed Legolas down in his small crib in the main room and rushed outside into the night, her sibling's protests falling on deaf ears. She ran down the stairs, sprinted the walkways, jumping from one to another as she swerved around corners at breakneck speed. She ran, and she ran, and she ran, the icy wind blowing through her hair and biting at her exposed face as she rushed to find her father. She _had_ to make sure he was alright.

 _Erica walked into the main room, her father's large shirt swamping her tiny, nine-year-old frame. She shuffled over to the table, seeing her father hunched over, his head in his hands, as he made small sobbing noises. She paused. She had never seen her father cry, and she supposed she wasn't meant to, for there was something disheartening about seeing the man you admire most, brought to weakness._

 _She was too busy watching him carefully, debating whether or not she should leave, that she didn't realise he'd noticed her, and was making his way towards her. She only realised when his face was in front of hers and he was pulling her into a tight hug. She threw her arms around him instantly, trying her best to comfort him for whatever reason he was upset about._

 _'Daddy, are you okay?'_

 _She heard his breath catch in his throat as he tried his hardest not to break in front of her. That was one of the things she had come to dislike about adults. They were so quick to hide their pain._

 _She pulled back from him and placed her hands on his cheeks softly, wiping away the tears that were there as she studied his face. His brown eyes found her green ones and she could see the heartbreak in them._

 _And it was only then did she realise the absence of her mother._

 _'Daddy,' her words were laced with trepidation as if she feared what he would say next, 'Where's mummy.'_

 _Erica could never remember a moment where her father had looked so devastated._

 _She had screamed after that, the look in his eyes telling her everything she needed to know. Her mother was dead...and she felt alone._

 _So she ran. Out the door and into the night, her father's cries white noise against the bleak, black world. Her senses felt numb, she was empty. And so she kept on running. She vaguely registered the sound of heavy footfalls behind her as she turned a corner, but she paid no attention to it._

 _She was focused on finding her mother, wherever she was, whatever it took._

Erica yelped in pain when she crashed into something large and solid, and landed hard on her back. She groaned slightly and pushed herself up, cursing whoever it was that had gotten in her way.

'Erica?'

She opened her eyes at the sound of her father's voice and jumped at him, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

'You're okay.' she said, her voice but a whisper in the emptiness of the night around her.

'Yes, I'm okay.' He wrapped his arms tight around her and rested his chin on her head, his heartbeat steady against her body.

'Where did you go?' she murmured against his chest.

She felt his entire body sag slightly.

'The leader of the dwarves...his name was Thorin.'

Erica's head perked slightly at the name and she pulled back to look at him questioningly.

'As in _the_ Thorin in the prophecy on the old tapestry the storekeeper by the Master's house sells?'

'The very same.' he said grimly.

She stepped back and puzzled out what it all meant in her head and her eyes widened when she realised.

'They've come to take back the mountain.' she whispered, horrified, her mouth open in terror at the prospect of what that meant.

Her father looked away into the distance.

'Aye, that they have. And the townsfolk are all in agreement with them.'

'What?! But why?'

Her father gazed deeply into her eyes, and she saw a wise look in them, one she had seen countless times before.

'Because they are easily swayed by the promise of gold and riches. They cannot see that they will only bring upon us the wrath of the dragon.'

Erica shivered slightly at the mention of the dragon. She had never seen it, but she had heard the heard the stories the older villagers had told her, and they were not pleasant. Her father smiled slightly at her.

'Let's get you home before you catch your death of cold out here.'

She opened her mouth to retort but stopped when she looked down at what she was wearing. In her mad rush to find her father, she hadn't thought to put on some warmer clothes and so was out in a thin dress and her mother's old jumper.

She smiled sheepishly at him.

'Old habits die hard?'

He laughed heartily at her, slinging his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to warm her up. He sighed fondly at her and kissed her forehead.

'You're a strange one, Erica. Just like your mother.'

She grinned up at him and snuggled in closer to his side, relishing in the warmth and comfort her father always seemed to bring.

* * *

Erica awoke to the sound of Legolas' small cries. She lay in her bed, exhausted from the day she'd had before, willing herself to move so she could stop her son from waking the rest of the family. Eventually she mustered the strength to roll out of bed and change into fresh clothes.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she stumbled over to the crib in the far corner of her room. She smiled down at her son as she picked him up.

'Hey, hey _penneth_ ,' she soothed, 'Whatever is the matter?'

Legolas quietened upon entering his mother's arms and she chuckled at him.

'Aah. So it is attention you seek? Hm, very telling. You're going to be a real ladies man when you're older, _especially_ with those ears.'

She nibbled at the points of the elfling's ears as she walked into the main room, and peals of laughter came from the small child. Erica smiled at the joy she saw on her son's face and she spun around the room with him, earning her more shrieks of delight.

She stopped and rested her forehead against his, as the first light of morning shone upon them. Legolas placed one of his small hands on her nose and grinned at her.

' _Nana.'_

She smiled softly at him.

'Yes Legolas. I am your _nana_ _._ '

'Yes, and where is his father?'

She turned at her father's voice and frowned slightly.

'You know I do not wish to speak of him.' She muttered icily.

'I am aware.' He spoke more softly, acknowledging his daughter's harsh feelings towards whoever the elf was.

'Then why do you continue to bring him up?'

She glared at him accusingly as she placed Legolas down on the floor.

'Because he should be _here_ ,' He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, 'You know I only want what's best for you.'

She scoffed darkly and moved into the kitchen to grab a piece of fruit.

'Yes, and what's best for me is to never see him again.'

Bard sighed.

'Erica...you can tell me what happened. I won't judge you or your actions, for I don't believe that you are wholly at fault.'

Erica shot him a look as she ate her apple.

'No, I suppose I am not but that does not make telling you any easier.'

She sighed as she finished her fruit, her body sagging under the weight of her father's questioning. She was about to speak, to just _tell_ him, when there was a loud cheer from outside.

Frowning, she stepped over to the window, her eyes curious when she saw the large crowds gathered in the town square.

'They are seeing the dwarves off, a celebration of their bravery.' Her father explained.

She turned to him before looking back out the window, wistfully. It had been months since she'd shown up to a town event, and she missed the sense of community she had once felt there.

Of course, that had all changed when Legolas had been born.

She sighed. Bard watched his daughter carefully.

'You should go.'

She spun around and shot him an incredulous look.

'Have you let the talk of gold and riches affect your brain, father? For it would be highly unwise of me to leave the house unaccompanied after what happened last time.'

Bard's face turned sour at the mention of the last time Erica had left the house. Needless to say, many people had gone home with a black eye that day.

'No, I have not forgotten,' He said as he joined her at the window, 'But, my child, if you do not leave the house and show these people who you _truly_ are, then how is their opinion of you going to change?'

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and leaned her head against his shoulder.

'What if I haven't changed? What if they're right? What if I _am_ just a worthless _whore_ who has no self-respect and is obviously _never_ going to wed?'

She could hear her voice begin to falter as tears rolled down her eyes. Bard grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her so that she was facing him directly, his hands wiping the tears away.

'You are not a whore Erica, you are my _daughter_ _._ And that fact will _never_ change, just like the fact that you have two feet will never change,' He smiled at her and she chuckled weakly. He pulled her chin up so that her eyes met his, 'You are beautiful Erica, inside and out, and any man, elf, or dwarf would be lucky to have you by his side. I promise you.'

She smiled at him.

'I love you Da,' She wrapped her arms around him in a hug then pulled back to look at him, 'Okay...I'll go.'

Bard smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

'There's my big, brave girl.'

She laughed and hugged him one last time before putting her boots on and going to stand in front of the door.

She took a deep breath.

 _You can do this, Erica. You know you can. You've helped raise four children...and your father. You are stronger than they believe. Now open the door. Open the door, Erica. Open the door._

She turned to see her father smiling encouragingly at her and she smiled nervously back. She looked at the door one last time before opening it and stepping one foot out into the big bad world...

* * *

 **Jasmine: Aww thanks hon. It makes me really happy to hear you say that :D And when it comes to plots, I do try to be as original as possible. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy the rest!**

 **RaY: You're so sweet! I'm really glad you like my story and my plot \^_^/ I hope you enjoy the rest of the story, with it's plot twists and turns :)**

* * *

 **Woo, new chapter! (see told you update times would be shorter) I hope you guys liked this one because I really enjoyed writing it :) This chapter wasn't really as necessary to the plot, it was more of a filler chapter, but it still needed to be there.**

 **Because it's special.**

 **Like you.**

 **Ha, I'm kidding :P**

 **Anyways I'm getting really excited to write the next chapter cause some certain, special dwarves will feature, as will a certain red-headed elf (not really sure how I'm gonna explain her being there buuutttt) and maybe a mention of a certain dragon? So basically it's gonna be an interesting chapter, I hope :)**

 **Elvish Translations:**

 _ **penneth - little one**_

 _ **nana - mummy**_

 **Thanks for reading (especially if you read all the way to the end :P),**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	4. WARNING: Dwarves And Dragons Don't Mix

Erica walked quickly down the stairs of her house, fully aware that if she hesitated even for a second she would be doomed to a life lived inside her house.

When she reached the bottom she didn't stop. She rushed along the walkways, her feet turning automatically at the corners as she made her way into the heart of the village.

Only when she saw the boats sailing along the lake with the dwarves sat stonily inside them, did she finally halt in her movements.

She smiled slightly at the sight of them. She knew in her mind that these people would bring death upon them, but in her heart...she felt a longing. A longing to be as free as them, to have a place she could call home.

She sighed, but continued to watch the boats until the mist swallowed them up, their presence lost to her. She stood back from the edge as everyone around her dispersed, their reason to stay halfway across the lake.

She turned and pulled at her dress subconsciously, her under-confidence starting to show. She watched the faces of people she had grown up with, pass her by. Some without a second glance, others with a nod of acknowledgement, a few with a small smile, but most with sneers sent her way.

She felt tears prick her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She was stronger than this. And she knew that.

So she decided that, while she was out, she might as well be useful. Her father needed a new shirt, since his current one was damaged beyond any repair that even a highly qualified seamstress could fix.

So with that thought in mind and a smile on her face, she set off in the direction of the town's tailor.

She walked at a steady pace, her face down so as to avoid attracting unwanted attention. It had already been made clear to her that she was not welcomed by everyone so, as to prevent a confrontation, she tried to blend in.

She was just about to step into the shop when she felt a large hand grab her arm and pull her backwards, turning her body round and effectively pinning her against the wall.

She blinked in surprise and her eyes widened in panic, as she frantically tried to recognise who was standing in front of her. When she realised who it was, her whole body tensed.

'Alfrid.' She quipped icily, her eyes darkening as he smirked at her, revealing his rotten, yellow teeth.

' _Miss Erica_.' He spat at her, his soulless brown eyes boring into her own green ones. She recoiled slightly at the stench of his breath.

'What do you want,' She spoke, with venom in her voice, 'Have you come to tell me about the spies outside my house?,' she raised her eyebrows at him and smirked at the shock that passed over his features, 'Or are you just pinning me against this wall for a nice chat?' Sarcasm laced her words and Alfrid's face became furious.

'No I did not come for ' _a nice chat_ ', as you put it, you miserable little whore,' She flinched at the term and a fire ignited in her stomach. One that if stoked, would engulf her and everyone surrounding her in flames. Alfrid, however, was oblivious to her inner fury, 'I came to tell you, that yer face is not welcome 'ere, out in public.'

She snorted at him.

His face came closer to hers and her nose crinkled in both disgust and anger.

'Because you. Are. _Scum_ ,' he said the word with so much hatred and disgust that she almost slapped him. Hard. But she knew that that would only add to his wrath and so she remained quiet, waiting for him to finish, her lips pressed together in a thin line, _'You_ do not follow the rules of the Master, and neither does your father. You are troublemakers, scallywags, _worthless filth._ And the Master don't like that,' His hips swayed from side to side as he sized her up and she crossed her arms over her chest, 'So go now girly, run back home to daddy.'

He smiled greasily, his face contorted into something that could make even the strongest man violently sick.

She narrowed her eyes at his comment.

'I will have you know that I will _not_ ' _run home to_ _daddy_ ' as you so eloquently put it, you conniving bastard,' she hissed through clenched teeth, 'I am a lot stronger than I look Alfrid and I will not be broken by a few measly _threats_ , do you understand?,' she paused, taking in Alfrid's furious face, 'Good.'

And before he could reply, she'd pried herself out from under his grip and was walking into the tailor shop, a confident smirk on her face as her chest puffed out in pride at her outburst.

She knew she'd regret her brash actions later, but for now she was happily satisfied with the look of complete and utter shock that had been on that slimy rat's face.

* * *

Erica slowly closed the door behind her, her father's new shirt in her hands, as she cautiously stepped through the house. She couldn't quite place her finger on it but something felt wrong.

When she heard pained grunts from the kitchen, her eyes widened and she sprinted through to investigate.

When she saw one of the smaller dwarves lying on their kitchen table, his body writhing in agony as a red-headed she-elf spoke elvish healing words whilst pressing something on his leg, with her sisters pinning him down along with some other dwarves, her eyes got even bigger. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it when another scream pierced through the house.

Her eyes widened in fear as her father's shirt fell to the floor.

'Legolas.' she whispered in horror.

She ran as fast as she could into her bedroom, silently praying to every God and spirit she knew of that her baby was safe. She slid in front of his cot and almost screamed when he wasn't there, all that remained being his blanket.

She froze when she heard something move behind her, the smell of rotting flesh filling her nostrils, and a small whimpering noise emanating from it.

'Orcs.' she mouthed to herself.

Slowly, so as not to raise suspicion, she reached out for the small bow and arrow her father had crafted for Legolas to use when he was older, that was sitting behind the cot. Her hands curled around the smooth wood of the weapon and she took a deep breath as she notched an arrow.

She had one shot at this.

Quick as a flash, she turned around, took in the sight of the filthy orc, and shot the arrow straight through his head.

He made a noise of pain as one of his large hands clawed at his face. Erica wasted no time in notching another arrow, a look of determination on her face, as she let it fly through the orc's thick neck, effectively piercing his jugular.

She rushed forward when his body started to fall and grabbed Legolas from his clutches, as the elfling let out cries of fear. She took out the dagger she hid in her dress and raised it at the orc, daring him to move again.

He let out a last whine of pain before collapsing fully on the floor, his body motionless, and his eyes dead. She sighed in relief, and tears ran down her face as she held her screaming son close, whispering soothing words as she rubbed his back gently.

She looked up at the sky, prepared to thank the Gods and the spirits for keeping her son alive, but a blood-curdling roar came from outside, stopping her from doing so.

She looked fearfully out the window as she rocked her son back and forth, and her mouth opened in horror, her body sagging in defeat, at the sight of the one thing the town feared more than anything else.

It was the dragon...and he looked murderous.

* * *

 **glassary: Neither can I! :D Oh wait, _I'm_ not supposed to say that :/ Haha, thank you for the lovely review, it made my day when I read it, and I'm sorry for not updating sooner so that you can find out what happens *makes sheepish face***

 **FabledWarrior: Aah, sorry for not letting you see what the dwarves think about Legolas in this chapter! But I promise they'll find out in the next one. I mean it. And I'm really happy you like my story and find it interesting. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :D**

* * *

 **First off, I am soooooo sorry about how long it took to upload this chapter. I have an excuse, and it's a crappy one, but yeah. Life's been hard just now. I have so much more homework, and life problems that- yeah.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's not that long and it doesn't really _explain_ why Tauriel is there, but hey. I liked writing it.**

 **And that is us officially down with The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug! Wooooo. Now it's onto Battle of the Five Armies, where a certain blonde-haired elf makes quite the appearance.**

 **So it's safe to say that the next couple of chapters will be filled with death! Drama! Suspense! And most important of all! An angry human yelling all sorts of shit at Thranduil.**

 **Yay!**

 **Because who doesn't want to read about that?**

 **Well probably quite a lot of people buuuuuutt whatever.**

 **Anyways, I am Thor...son of Odin...and as long as there is life in my breast, I am never going to stop protecting Earth...and I am running out of words to say, so byeeee!**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	5. To Kill A Dragon

Erica sat in silence, staring at the beast flying closer and closer, until she finally broke from her reverie and jumped up, startling little Legolas. He started crying again but Erica was only thinking about one thing.

The flying furnace with wings that was headed straight for them.

She took no notice of her surroundings, she was numb. She vaguely registered Sigrid taking Legolas from her whilst yelling something incomprehensible at her. Her mind was foggy, and the voices around her sounded distant. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and her legs started to buckle beneath her.

But she had to get up.

She had to get Legolas safe.

Her heart was beating faster and faster as she tried to push herself up, but her arms felt as if they had been dunked in the icy cold water of the lake. They were heavy and useless.

But still she persisted as the voices around her started to merge together into one great cacophony of noise. She felt her entire body grow weary and she tried not to succumb to the darkness that was slowly taking over her.

Her arms fell beneath her, and she did not know whether _she_ cried out or if it was one of the voices. Her head hit the ground. Hard. And the last thing she saw before the world went black, was the cold, dead body of the orc lying motionless on the floor of her house, and the dragon circling its prey in the world outside the window...

* * *

When Erica woke, there was much more noise around her than there had been before. Her body felt as if it were on fire, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. She squeezed her eyes and rubbed at them with the palm of her hands. She opened them, and shut them immediately after.

It was too bright.

The world was _too bright_. It was like someone had lit the biggest lantern in the sky for all the world to see. Erica whimpered in pain.

But, she opened her eyes again and gasped in horror as the world came into focus.

Fire. Everything was on fire.

The houses, the boats, the sky. Even some of the _people_ had caught fire.

She sat up slowly and took in her own surroundings, her eyes reflecting pain and grief as she saw more and more people fall prey to the flames that laughed and cackled in delight at the pain it caused.

She saw she was in a small boat with her sisters, the small group of dwarves, the red-headed she-elf and her son– who was in Tilda's arms. She sat up straighter, her body aching in protest. But where was Bain and her father?

'Where's Da?' her voice was a mere whisper compared to the screams that filled the silence of the night air.

Sigrid turned at her voice, and Erica could not remember a time when she had seen such pain on her sister's face. Her cheeks were blackened with soot, with little trails of red where her tears had wiped it away. Her eyes were filled with such raw pain and heartache that Erica had to look away.

'He's on the tower.' she pointed up at the bell tower, her voice shaking, her hands trembling.

Erica followed her gaze and saw him. _Their_ father, a black silhouette amongst the bright colours of the fire.

She felt tears form in her eyes. He was going to die. She looked around. The town was going to die, lost to the bottom of the lake. She was going to die, as another victim of the dragon. Her child was going to die, too young to realise what was happening. Her sisters were going to die, before they had the chance to see the world, to experience it. The dwarves were going to die, separated from their kin.

She felt her breathing come in short gasps, and she looked back up at the tower.

But oh, how she wished she hadn't. For there, standing next to her father, was a new silhouette. One that could only be recognised as-

'Bain,' she whispered, 'Bain!' she screamed, her already sore throat burning. She tried to stand up, the boat rocking with the sudden shift in weight.

She could feel her sisters grabbing at her dress, yelling at her to stop, and her son crying out for his _nana_ , but Erica had already jumped off the boat and into the water. She swam over to the part of the town that hadn't felt the destruction of fire and pulled herself up. She ran through the streets, laughing to herself at the irony of the situation. The one time she felt welcomed in this stupid, fucking town, was when it was on fire.

* * *

She stopped in front of the tower, trying to see a way she could climb up it as the flames around her licked at her body, burning her smooth skin, but stopped when she heard the dragon speak. She felt chills run down her spine that shook her to the core at the sound of the evil she could feel oozing from the deep voice behind her.

She slowly turned around and cried out when she saw him.

Smaug the Magnificent. Smaug the Stupendous. Smaug the Tyrannical.

The flames around her grew ever higher as the source of them came closer, closer, closer. She looked around desperately, trying to see anything that could spark a plan in her mind.

When she could not see anything that had been left untainted by the golden beast, she fell to the floor with a wail.

How could she have been so stupid? Thinking she could take on the dragon by herself? She was always going to die tonight, there was no other outcome. But if she'd stayed on the boat, she could at least have done it surrounded by her sisters and her beautiful son.

Now she was going to die alone, surrounded only by fire and the stench of burning flesh. _Her_ burning flesh.

She sniffled and wiped at her nose. What would her father sa- her father! Her eyes widened as she put together all the jagged pieces of the puzzle in her mind.

 _Bain had hidden the Black Arrow! He knew where it was! That's why he had gone to father._

She stood up, a sense of purpose and determination filling her.

If they were going to kill a dragon, they'd need the best shot they could get.

So, she would provide a helpful distraction.

'HEY! SMAUG THE STUPID! YOU BIG FAT SLUG!,' she waved her arms frantically above her head, 'YOU USELESS WORM!'

When he finally looked down at her, his golden eyes blazing like two suns, she did not know whether to be pleased or terrified.

'And who,' he bellowed as his body wriggled forward towards her, 'ARE YOU, TO INSULT ME!?'

Erica could only watch in terror as the scales on his stomach started to light, a fire igniting within them.

She closed her eyes for a moment, clutching desperately at the little confidence she found in the darkness, before opening them, her own fire igniting within her.

She might die tonight. But she was going to die fighting.

'I AM ERICA! DAUGHTER OF BARD AND SELENA!,' she could see his lip curl in disgust and the flames around her grew and grew, 'AND I WILL SEE YOU DEAD BY THE END OF TONIGHT!,' he roared in fury at her, showing his sharp, white, teeth, 'BECAUSE YOU!,' she pointed her finger at him, 'HAVE MURDERED MY PEOPLE!'

Smaug stood up on his hind legs and let out an almighty roar, his chest bright gold, his wings spread, and her skin felt as if it was fire itself.

Erica stood, eyes closed, arms outstretched, waiting for the final blow. She felt at peace. She knew she would die trying.

Maybe it would be enough for her family to escape. Her son would grow into an _ellon_ and would be loved by anyone who met him. Her sisters would grow, and would marry, and would have children of their own.

She smiled. Yes, she would die happy tonight.

But alas, it was not to be.

For soon after she had closed her eyes, an ear-piercing screech of pain filled the air.

Her eyes flew open and she watched dumbfounded as the dragon screeched and wailed in pain as he staggered forwards, his body crashing into different buildings along the way. It was only when she saw something sticking out from his side that she realised.

They'd done it. They'd killed the dragon.

She let out a hysterical laugh, and spun around, doing a little dance.

They had _done_ it.

She was too wrapped up in her euphoria that she did not see that the dragon had hit the tower behind her, and that it was now falling at a great speed towards her.

She turned, and her eyes widened in fear, as she saw the thing that would result in her death.

Her body acted on impulse, in a last-ditch attempt to save herself, and she jumped into the lake, pieces of wood smashing into the water around her.

She quickly resurfaced, gasping for breath, the cool water soothing the burns on her worn body, but she soon fell under again, the energy needed to keep her up, diminishing.

She felt her movements start to slow, as the cold, and the lack of air started to take it's toll.

She closed her eyes again, and for the third time tonight, prepared herself for death...

Just as she was about to fall to darkness for the last time she felt a hand grip her tight, and she let them pull her, for she did not have the energy to protest.

* * *

'Erica!'

This time when she awoke, she was not warm. She did not feel as if she was on fire. In fact, she felt the opposite. She felt like ice. But she was also having difficulty breathing. And she was in great pain.

She opened her eyes, her body still on the floor, and saw her father and brother above her, their eyes worried but their mouths smiling as they saw her awake.

'Wh-where are we?' her voice was hoarse as she spoke and she was surprised to find it worked at all.

'We are just outside the town, it is morning now,' her father answered as he cradled her neck, pulling her upwards and towards him, 'You, my lass, are a brave woman. And I am so proud of you.' his voice broke at the end as he placed his forehead upon hers in affection.

Erica blinked, confused, until she remembered.

'The dragon.' she whispered in panic, as she tried to stand up by herself.

'Is dead,' her father spoke as he helped her up, 'Thanks to you. If you hadn't distracted the dragon, then we would never have had a clear shot.'

He looked over at Bain and pulled his children into an embrace, his face buried in the crook of their necks.

'I am so proud of the both of you,' he pulled back and placed his hands on their cheeks, 'And I love you both very much.'

Erica and Bain looked at each other and smiled, giving the other a side hug. But when they turned to their father, they found that he was glaring murderously at them.

'But if either of you ever do anything as stupid as that again, I will personally see to it that you both don't leave my sight for a month!'

He stormed off and the siblings looked at each other, wide-eyed, before shrugging their shoulders and following him.

* * *

When they finally reached the shore, they could truly see the damage the dragon had done.

There were families crying over lost ones, people screaming in pain because of their injuries and masses and masses of corpses.

Erica felt sick. She held her hand to her mouth as she shivered, both from the sight and the cold.

She, her father and her brother slowly made their way through the wreckage, and Erica didn't know whether to cry or to scream. When they reached the middle, they found a massive gathering of people.

They shouldered their way through, Bard and Bain careful of Erica as she was covered in burns, scars and bruises, and eventually reached the centre. Where Alfrid was fighting with Liw.

'-I'll be dead, before I answer to the likes of you!'

Erica watched in horror as Alfrid grabbed her.

'Maybe that can be arranged!'

Erica watched raise his hand and she lunged forward, and effectively stopped him from hitting Liw...by taking the blow herself.

She screamed in agony, when he hit one of the badly burned portions of her arm, and she fell to the floor, whimpering.

She felt her brother's arms encircle her, shielding her if Alfrid decided to hit her again.

'I wouldn't go turning on your own, Alfrid. Not now!'

She watched her father spin him around and push him, only for him to trip on Liw's outstretched foot. She and Bain smiled as he helped her stand.

'DA!'

The siblings turned to see their sisters running towards their father and walked over to join them.

'It's alright.'

Erica smiled fondly at them, before realising someone was missing.

'Where's Legolas?' her sisters turned and were about to speak, when Erica felt a feather-light touch on her back.

She spun around and found the red-headed she-elf standing with her son cradled in her arms. She held him out for Erica to take, and the woman pulled him into a tight embrace.

'Oh _ionneg,_ you are safe.'

She heard him snuffle slightly in his sleep and she felt tears roll down her face. She looked back up at the she-elf and placed her hand over her heart.

' _Guren glassui.'_

The she-elf smiled and returned the gesture.

' _Glassen_.'

' _Man i eneth lín?'_

 _'_ Tauriel, _i eneth nín.'_

Tauriel bowed to her, and Erica became flustered, not used to the formality.

Tauriel smiled at her one last time before turning and walking away.

Erica opened her mouth to speak, but found no words came out. She focused her attention back on her son. Her beautiful child who she would see grow because of Tauriel. She owed her a great debt, and she would not stop until she had repaid it.

But for now, she was happy to be with her child.

'What then? What do we do then?'

Erica joined the townspeople's conversation, aware she had missed something big.

'We find shelter.'

She watched as her father began to walk, and the townspeople followed. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

'They made Da the new leader.'

She looked to her side to see Bain standing with his arms crossed as he too watched the scene unfold.

'Oh. Ok. So now what?'

Bain shrugged.

'I guess we do what everyone else is doing, and follow Da.'

He began to walk off and Erica sighed. Her body was screaming at her to seek medical attention, or to at least lay down and rest, but she pushed on and fell in line with her siblings as they ventured after their father, into the unknown.

* * *

Once her father had told everyone that they were to camp in the ruins of Dale, Erica and her siblings had decided to sit in a circle and speak about what had happened the previous night.

'You actually called the dragon ' _a big fat slug_ '?' Sigrid looked at her eldest sibling incredulously.

Erica rubbed the back of her head as a blush formed on her cheeks.

'Yes,' she stroked Legolas' cheek, 'I also called him ' _Smaug the Stupid_ ' and ' _useless worm_ '.'

Her siblings laughed at her.

'You _are_ crazy, dear sister.' Sigrid wiped away the tears of mirth that had formed in her eyes.

Erica laughed and was about to defend herself but someone beat her to it.

'Yes, she is. Just like her mother.'

The siblings turned at their father's voice and made a space for him in their circle. He sat down and joined in the discussions, adding his own tales for his children.

They sat like that, laughing and joking about the night before and any other thing they could think of, until the stars were shining brightly in the sky, and the moon was glowing bright.

Erica could not remember a time when she had been happier.

* * *

In the morning, Erica was woken by pain. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her injuries making their presence known.

She looked down at herself. Her dress was singed and torn in many different places, and her exposed skin was covered in angry red welts, the size of oranges. She lightly touched one of them and immediately hissed in pain.

She tried to pull parts of her dress back, but found that it was moulded to her skin, and the harder she pulled, the more it hurt. She didn't realise tears had fallen from her eyes, until a tiny hand reached up to wipe them away.

She looked down at Legolas.

'Oh _i_ _onneg_ _._ What are we going to do?'

She picked him up and held him close, and he stroked her burnt skin.

They sat like that for hours, as the sun began to rise in the sky, and it was not until her father woke, that they moved.

'Erica? How long have you been awake.'

She blinked at him, as she tried to process the question through the cloud of pain that fogged her mind.

'A couple of hours?' she whispered, careful not to wake her siblings.

He looked at her, concerned.

'Is it your injuries?' he asked softly.

Erica nodded, tears flowing from her eyes and Bard pulled her into a light hug, aware of her injuries and his grandson.

'Hush, my child. It will be alright. When we reach the mountain, I will make sure you get the medicine you need.'

She cried into his shoulder until she could cry no more, the pain that consumed her numbing slightly.

'Feel better?' he touched her cheeks lightly, wiping away her tears.

She nodded at him.

'Yes.'

He smiled at her.

'Good. I can't have one of my favourite girls looking so upset, ' She smiled, 'Now, I must go to tend to the others. Will you be alright here?'

'Yes. I shall be fine.' she smiled brightly at him, hoping that he would not see it was false.

He didn't look convinced.

'Well, alright then. I trust you can look after your siblings while I am gone.'

She smiled wryly at him.

'If I can stand up to a 60 foot dragon with no weapon, I think I can handle my siblings.'

He laughed at her and leant forward to kiss her cheek, then turned and walked away to deal with the townspeople.

Erica sighed as she watched him leave, and was about to wake her siblings when Legolas made a whimpering noise.

She looked down at him and smiled.

'Hungry, _ionneg_?'

He nodded slightly at her.

Her smile grew bigger at the action and she kissed his forehead.

'Right then. Now how are we going to do this?'

* * *

After Erica had finally managed to feed Legolas, her siblings had woken up, and asked where their father was.

'He went to check on everyone. But that was a while ago.' She told Bain.

'Should we go look for him?' Tilda questioned.

'If you help me up, sure.'

Once the siblings had finally managed to get Erica up, after many curse words thrown in their direction, they headed off for the centre of the city in search of their father.

What they did not expect to find there however, was an army of elves...

* * *

 **Jasmine: WOOOOO! I'm excited too! But I'm really sorry that it's not in this chapter :( I _was_ gonna try and fit him in properly, but I just felt that it was putting too much stuff into the same chapter. So, sorry, but he is going to be in the next chapter! So yayy! :D**

 **Trich: Aww thank you! I really hope you liked this chapter, even if Thranduil wasn't in it, and I hope you keep reading this story!**

 **shush child: AAHHH! Thank you! I love it too ;D I'm glad you like the story and hope you found this chapter TOTALLY AMAZEBALLS! Sorry that was weird. But I do hope you liked the chapter and stick with me and my story!**

 **Guest: Well I am pretty wacky when it comes to stories so I'm glad you like it! I hope you liked this chapter, even if it took me forever to actually write and upload it :/**

 **CuciBurga: Aaahh I'm sorry! No Thranduil in this chapter, but he will definitely be in the next one! I promise, I PINKY PROMISE! :D**

* * *

 **Again, I am very, very sorry about how long it took me to update :( I feel awful about it.**

 **I don't have an excuse this time, cause it's summer and I haven't been on holiday, but I might as well go with the bog standard excuse.**

 **WRITERS BLOCK**

 **Eww even writing it makes me feel all creeped out.**

 **So I am also sorry for not putting Thranduil in this chapter like I said I would. But I did write BADASS ERICA, and NICE TAURIEL, and PROTECTIVE DADDY BARD, and PROTECTIVE SIBLINGS.**

 **Soooooo I think that should cover it. Don't hate me! *hides behind BADASS ERICA***

 **Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I really enjoyed writing it. Heck, I even missed lunch to write it! Talk about COMMITMENT!**

 **Elvish Translations:**

 ** _ionneg - my son_**

 ** _guren glassui - thank you from the bottom of my heart_**

 ** _glassen - you're welcome_**

 ** _man i eneth_** ** _lín? - what is your name_**

 _ **Tauriel, i eneth nín - Tauriel, is my name**_

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	6. The Confrontation

The siblings stood with their mouths open.

Elves. They were surrounded by elves.

And then, in perfect synchronisation, they all looked at Legolas, whose little pointed ears perked at the sight of the graceful creatures.

'Erica...,' Sigrid trailed off uncertainly, as if afraid of what her sister might say if she continued.

Erica, however, wasn't listening. She was currently surrounded by the one race she held conflicting feelings for. One that had taken something so precious to her, yet also given her something worth even more.

And there were so many of them. She could feel the air around her start to thin, the space between them becoming smaller and smaller. There were too many people. There were too man-

'Hey, it's Da!'

She was ripped from the beginnings of her panic attack when Tilda grabbed her arm and started pulling her along to wherever their father was. She had to duck and dodge to narrowly avoid bumping into people, and to protect Legolas from harm.

When she finally stopped, Erica huffed and glared down at her sister. She looked back at her arm and was relieved to see Tilda hadn't grabbed one of the welts.

'My Lord Thranduil; we did not look to see you here.'

Erica's ears pricked at the name, her mouth opening in horror. Her mind shut down as she tried to process how it would feel to see _him_ again. _Him_ being the elf she had been enchanted by. _Him_ being Legolas' father. _Him_ being the King of the elves who were currently surrounding her. She focused on trying to breathe. In and out, in and out, but it was to no avail. She hoped that when she looked upon him she would see a foul creature, something that was ugly beyond all things, so that it would be easier to hate him.

She had never been so wrong in all her life.

When she looked up, she wanted to see an elf with a harsh face, one that had seen and experienced many lifetimes. She thought he might have had a crown of thorns or something similar, resting upon his head, to scare people away.

But, she was not prepared for what she _saw_.

For when she looked up she did not see the horrifying beast she had pictured him to be for so long, she saw the effortless beauty and grace that an Elven-king should hold. One that could bring an entire nation to its knees if he chose to do so.

And she hated him for it. Oh how she hated him for it.

Her whole body tensed, her jaw set in anger, and she looked ready to kill someone.

 _I will not lose myself to him like I did the last time. I will be in control. He will not get to me._

'I came to reclaim something of mine.'

Erica looked suspiciously at him. He couldn't be talking about her, could he? She didn't even think he recognised her, let alone remembered her. So why would h-

'Is there a reason you look upon me with such disdain, woman?'

Erica blinked, her eyes widening, at the melodic voice that reached her ears, and she realised that everyone was now looking at her, including the King. She felt a great indignation at being called ' _woman_ ' and a deep sadness at the fact that he didn't seem to recognise her. She quickly regained her composure, however, and settled for glaring at him in contempt, a dark smirk forming on her soft lips.

'Oh, wouldn't _you_ like to know, _your highness_.' she spoke lightly, her words dripping with malice, and before he could reply she turned and walked away, leaving behind her dumbfounded family, and a curious, but insulted, Elf-King.

* * *

'Okay, so would you care to explain to all of us what just happened?'

Erica glanced over at Sigrid, whose hands were folded over her chest, one eyebrow raised in question.

'I have no idea what you mean.' Erica feigned ignorance as she sat amongst the city ruins.

'Oh, I think that you do sister.' Bain butted in.

Erica glared at her brother, annoyed he had sided against her too.

'Remind me. It seems to have slipped my mind.' she smiled falsely at them as she attempted to soothe the pain of her burns with ice she had found in a nearby stream. She winced when the cold object made contact with her skin. The pain it brought was worse than the wounds.

'Really? Is insulting an Elven-king who has come to aid us something you do everyday?' Sigrid snapped at her.

Erica pretended to think about her question for a moment before replying with a short:

'No.'

Bain threw his arms up in the air.

'Then why did you do it?! Because of you, father now has to console the King, as well as avoiding _war!_ '

Erica pouted.

'Aww does the King need a wee hug to make him feel better?'

'Erica!' Erica jumped slightly at the her siblings' cry.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tilda cowering in fright at their argument. She looked back to Bain and Sigrid.

'Perhaps it would be wise to discuss this elsewhere.' She nodded at their younger sister as she spoke and the elder of her younger siblings nodded in return.

'Yes. That would be wise.' Sigrid spoke sharply before turning and walking off to an archway that was out of Tilda's earshot.

At Bain's scowl, Erica stood up and followed her sibling, with Legolas, over to their sister.

Sigrid raised her eyebrows, her lips pursed with suppressed fury, and Erica sighed.

'ThekingisreallyLegolas'father.' she practically spat her words in an effort to just _let them out._

She huffed and rolled her eyes when she saw her sibling's hadn't understood her.

She took a deep breath and stroked her son's cheek for reassurance.

'The king,' she paused to take in her sibling's expressions because she knew, that once she spoke her next few words, their opinion of her would change forever, '...is Legolas' father.'

Her siblings stood, frozen in shock as they processed the new information.

Erica looked at the ground, silently waiting for screams that never came.

When she eventually looked back up, she was surprised to see her siblings didn't look angry, but rather...horrified.

Erica honestly didn't know which she preferred.

'So...?' her voice was a whisper, but it seemed to strike something within Sigrid, as she blinked rapidly before lunging forward and enveloping her in a hug, careful of her nephew.

Erica looked at Bain, shocked, when Sigrid started to cry against her shoulder.

'I-I'm so s-sorry Erica,' she managed to hiccup out between sobs, 'We di- we didn't know.'

Erica smiled sadly.

'Nobody does, not even him.'

Sigrid stood back at looked at her confused.

'What do you mean?' Erica looked at Bain when he spoke.

'I mean that I never told him I was pregnant.'

Her siblings glanced at each other before looking back to her.

'Well...what are you going to do?' Sigrid asked.

'Yeah, and how are you going to tell Da?' Bain looked as terrified at the prospect as she _felt._

She rubbed a hand over her face and sighed.

'Honestly? I have no idea.'

She looked around but stopped when she saw her father approaching with one of the King's elves.

She looked on at them suspiciously as they came closer, and was surprised when the _ellon_ stopped abruptly and almost fell to the floor in a sweeping bow that both amused, and awed her.

'My King demands to see you, my lady.' He looked straight at her as he spoke, his sapphire blue eyes boring into her own emerald green ones.

She could see out of the corner of her eyes her siblings looking at her worriedly and her father with disappointment lacing his features.

She nodded at the elf in acknowledgement.

'Then I shall come.' she answered politely as she handed Legolas to Bain.

She turned to leave but stopped when an arm grabbed hers.

She looked behind her to see Sigrid looking at her fearfully.

'Be careful.' she whispered.

Erica smiled reassuringly.

'Aren't I always?'

She could hear her siblings snort at her as she moved over to where the elf stood.

He turned gracefully and started walking off in the direction of the King's tent and Erica noted that her father didn't look at her as she passed by. She felt saddened by the small action, but she was too pleased with herself to care.

She had finally told someone. She felt free.

So as she followed the elf to the King's tent, she couldn't keep the smirk from adorning her face.

Oh, the King was _so_ going to get a reality check.

* * *

She felt as if she were a powerless prey being circled by it's predator as the King moved around her, his long robe flowing elegantly behind him.

'Is there a reason you speak so discourteously in the face of royalty, you impudent woman?'

He stopped directly in front of her and moved his face closer to hers, in a weak attempt to intimidate her. She searched his eyes for any sign of recognition, and frowned when she found none. He couldn't have forgotten her, could he?

'Is there a reason _you_ speak so _discourteously_ in the face of a woman?'

He pulled back at her rebuke, his eyes flaring in anger at her words. She smiled to herself. She'd ruffled his feathers.

He narrowed his eyes at her and took to pacing around her again.

'It seems to me you feel I've offended you in some way. Would you care to share what it is I've done wrong?' his deep voice resonated throughout the tent and it vaguely reminded her of the dragon, sending a few small chills up her spine at the memory of that night.

'I didn't realise the King would let the conversation drift so easily. Especially by a _young woman_.'

She could practically feel the anger roll off of him in waves. She knew angering him was bad. She _knew_ that trying to make him feel just a _sliver_ of what she felt when she found out she was with child, was _wrong_. But it just felt so _right._

She watched him as he walked over to his 'throne' and sat in it, his hands coming together to form a steeple.

'I would not think it _wise_ for a woman in your _state_ ,' he made a gesture with his eyes to the wounds on her body, 'to insult a _King._ ' the way he drawled out his words, as if he were speaking to an infant, made Erica's skin crawl.

'And I would not think it _wise_ for a _King_ _t_ o _impregnate_ a human _peasant!_ Especially when, in your culture, that equates to marriage!' she drew out her words through clenched teeth and found great satisfaction from the shocked face the _ellon_ now wore. She was surprised by how vocal his expressions were, but she supposed the situation they were in, _was_ _r_ ather different _._

He stood up quickly, his robe pooling behind him and strode over towards her, his long elegant fingers grasping her face. Erica's eyes widened in terror.

' _What_ ,' he paused and closed his eyes, as he took a deep breath to regain his cool composure, 'exactly. Do you mean by that?'

His grip on her face never lessened as he looked at her, his once shut off eyes, suddenly opened. And all she could see in them was _fire._

'I mean,' she choked out, 'that you shouldn't,' she took a deep breath, 'criticise _me_ _f_ or being unwise, when it was _you_ who got me pregnant!' she managed to shout the last word, and was relieved when his hand let go of her face.

She dropped to the floor, her chest heaving and she looked back up at him, her own eyes bright with fury.

He looked down at her in disgust.

'You are lying. I have never seen you before in my life.'

'Is that so?,' she said as she stood up to face him, her expression morphing to one of uncontrolled anger, 'Are you sure you don't remember the _months_ we spent together in your kingdom, the months I used as an escape from my life?!'

His brows furrowed both in anger and confusion and she wanted to slap him for being so ignorant.

'I cannot recall such an event.'

Her temper flared at his words.

'Really? So you don't remember a young woman, who was 18 years old, wandering into your forest, wearing nothing but a tattered dress,' she watched as his face began to change into one of realisation, and his head snapped up to meet her gaze, 'and a frown. And you, being the _charming_ little snake you are, taking me in, _befriending_ me, before leading me into something I wasn't ready for.'

Her nostrils flared, and her whole body was shaking with rage, feelings she'd buried long ago beginning to resurface.

He didn't look at her as he spoke.

'I remember...' he whispered in defeat.

'Well then. I'd like you to know that I got pregnant after that _i_ _ncident_.' he spun to face her at her words.

Thranduil gazed at the mortal woman in contempt.

'It is an impossib-'

'-Improbable.'

His eye twitched at her interruption but his face remained otherwise impassive.

'It is an _impossible_ notion that you claim to be true.'

She smiled wryly.

'And yet here we are.'

* * *

 **Guest: Aww thank you! I hope you like this chapter and the fight between Erica and Thranduil :D**

 **CuciBurga: I'm glad you liked the last chapter :D And I really hope you like this chapter even more! And yeah, Bard was adorable in the last chapter ;)**

 **Trich: Yassss he's finally here! Cause the party don't start till he walks in ;D Well I hoped you liked the CONFRONTATION OF THE CENTURY! I really enjoyed writing it :)**

 **Guest: Haha! I think everyone was in suspense for Thranduil showing up! Including my sister ;D She was actually the one who made me write the confrontation in _this_ chapter, cause I was gonna make it the next XD**

 **Queen Amaryllis Kay: Oh yeah she did! And yeah it was pretty reckless of her to fight a dragon by herself :D I'm happy you're enjoying the story and I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

 **Again, sorry about the long update time ( I'm sensing this is gonna become a regular line from me ).**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that the THRANDERICA ( Yup I'm making it their ship name ) confrontation was good for you :)**

 **Sooooooooooooo I hope it's not too long before the next chapter but, as I said at the beginning, please vote in my poll! It will make writing this a lot easier. And you'll understand what I mean when you see what the question is ;D**

 **Weeelll TTFN, Ta Ta For Now and thanks for reading!,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	7. Where Mithrandir Makes An Appearance

Erica watched the _ellon_ pace back and forth in the tent, his robes billowing behind him. She smirked slightly at the sight, remembering her father had done the exact same when both her mother _and_ herself had gone into labour.

'My Lord, if you keep pacing any longer, you're going to wear a hole in the floor.' she smiled smugly at him when he stopped to glare at her before resuming his hole-making.

She sighed, and was about to yell at him to just _man up_ and _deal_ with it, because she was the one who'd had to actually _push_ the baby out, but was prevented from doing so, when a new voice entered the tent.

' _Hîr_ _vuin_ Thranduil.'

Erica turned to see a young looking elf, but his face looked worn, either by time or by what he'd experienced in that time. His auburn hair glowed like rubies in the candlelight and Erica thought that it was rather dull when compared to the King's, whose hair shone like pure starlight.

' _No,_ Feren? _Prestad_?'

Erica listened to the conversation with mild amusement, fully understanding the words which were spoken.

' _Ú,_ _hîr_ _vuin, ten is Mithrandir ar i dagnir uin i lhûg._ '

Erica's eyes widened slightly at the mention of her father and her face scrunched up in apprehension at the discussion that they were _definitely_ going to have later.

' _Tog hain._ '

' _No, hîr_ _vuin.'_

Erica watched him wave away the _ellon_ with a single flick of his wrist, in disgust.

How easy it was for him to rid himself of people who were no longer of any use to him. And she had already provided him with a male heir, so where did that leave her?

'I wish to meet the child before I accept that he is mine.'

Erica's eyes flicked over to him.

 _Does he think me a human whore? A woman with no self-respect whatsoever?! Of course the child is his!_

'Wha-'

'-My Lord Thranduil.'

Erica closed her mouth as soon as she registered who the voice belonged to.

Her father.

She stayed facing forwards, aware of the glance the King quickly threw her way.

'If I'd known you could be so easily silenced, I would have invited the Dragon Slayer sooner.'

Erica glared at him, already feeling her father's stare on her back.

'Hm, I wouldn't have advised it, considering what we were _discussing_.' She glared at him.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her father step forward.

'And what exactly was it you were talking about.' he looked at her and she had to use all of her willpower not to shrink under his gaze.

She looked at the King, silently begging him not to say anything, for she knew that it would not end well.

But she need not have worried, for soon the mysterious _Mithrandir_ made his presence known.

'We have no time for that. There are urgent matters we must discuss, my Lord.'

Thranduil looked at him with fake interest.

'Is that so? Then please, continue.'

He moved over to his throne again and sat in it, his whole body sprawled elegantly across it, the picture of sophisticated grace. Her father moved to stand next to the King and Erica winced slightly at the look he shot her. It said 'we will talk later' and she dreaded the time when she would leave this tent.

Erica watched as _Mithrandir_ walked forward, going to stand right in front of the King. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped, as if realising something wasn't quite right. He turned to look straight at her.

'And who are you, young lady?'

Erica looked up at him as he came closer.

'Who is asking?'

In her peripheral vision she could see her father smirk slightly.

The old man chuckled at her response.

'You are a fiery young woman, one who has seen many evils in such a short lifetime,' he looked at her wounds, as if he felt responsible for them, and then looked back up at her, 'But I can see a warrior's heart lies inside of you,' he paused as if he knew he would regret what he next spoke, 'But I fear that now...now is your time to _fight_.'

He gazed down at her sadly and Erica smiled reassuringly.

'It is always my time to fight. Everyday I fight to look after my family. Everyday I fight to be accepted by my kinsmen and everyday I fight to raise my son to be good. You misunderstand what it means to have a warrior's heart. It is not about waiting for a fight or a war to prove your worth, it is about proving your worth by the struggles you overcome everyday.'

He smiled at her as he stroked his greying beard and she could see her father's proud smile from where he stood.

'Then my fear has been misplaced. You will make a fine contribution to this war effort, _and_ to _both_ of these kingdoms.'

Erica frowned at his words and he smiled at her, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, as if he knew something she didn't.

The man turned and looked back over to the King, his hands resting on his hips, as if he were a mother about to scold her child.

'You must set aside your petty grievances with the dwarves. War is coming! The cesspits of Dol Goldur have been emptied. You're ALL in mortal danger!'

Erica watched the King make a face at her father, and would have giggled at the behaviour, if she wasn't so determined to hate him.

'What are you talking about?'

Her father walked forward, suddenly focused on what the man had to say.

'I can see you know nothing of wizards.'

Erica looked at old man in understanding.

 _He is a wizard. They are known to say strange things, are they not? Perhaps what he said about the kingdoms was a metaphor for something?_

'They are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm,' she watched him hand a glass of wine to her father with hardened eyes and was surprised when she suddenly found herself holding one as well, 'But sometimes a storm is just a storm.'

She shuffled away from him slightly as he stood closer to her, the small distance between them unnerving her, and she placed her wine on the table in the centre of the room.

'Not this time,' Erica's eyes snapped back to the wizard, the resentment in his voice holding her attention capture, 'Armies of orcs are on the move. And these are fighters!'

She shut her eyes in frustration. They had just dealt with a dragon for Ilúvatar's sake, what more would be brought upon these good people by the hands of the dwarves?!

'They have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength.'

'Why show his hand now?'

'Because we forced him,' Erica whispered, her eyes opening and she took in the faces of the males that surrounded her, 'We forced him...didn't we?'

She looked at the wizard in question. He nodded at her.

'Yes, we did. We forced him when the company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim their homeland,' she was the first to follow after the wizard when he left the tent, her father and the King close behind her, 'The dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor; Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master seeks control of the mountain,' they all looked out at the gates of Erebor, the large doors menacing from the distance, and the cold air around them chilling them as the wizard spoke, 'Not just for the treasure within, but for where it lies, its strategic position.'

'Angmar...,' The wizard turned at her voice, his face one of confusion, 'I read a lot. I don't get out much.' she shrugged her shoulders at him and missed the glance the King sent her way.

'Well you're quite right, my dear,' he smiled briefly at her, 'This _is_ the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north. If that fell kingdom should rise again, Rivendell, Lothlórien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall!'

'These orc armies you speak of, _Mithrandir_ -where are they?'

Erica took one look at the defeat she saw on the wizard's face and knew she had to speak.

'Tell me, my lord. Why do you find it so hard to believe in things you cannot see?' she spoke with venom in her voice, already angered by his attitude to their _own_ _'_ problem', and his now apparent _disinterest_ in the latest one.

He cocked his head to the side as he studied her.

Bard looked between the two, noting the mixed feelings his daughter seemed to hold for the elf.

'Maybe because I am used to tricks, to illusions..to _lies._ '

His face was now inches from hers, and she searched his face for answers.

'Or maybe it is because you are a _coward_ , that is too afraid to take a risk when an opportunity is presented before him.'

He smirked at her.

'I still wish to meet the child first.' his whisper sent cold shivers down her spine, as she fought to take control of the situation.

He turned abruptly and walked away from her, his movements as graceful as ever, and oh what she wouldn't give to watch him stumble. She smirked when she thought of a way.

'Now is that any way for a husband to speak to his wife?'

* * *

 **Shayde F. Revelle: I'm really sorry you feel that way about the story :( But if you want a clearer picture of what I'm going for, then you should read the story of Eol and Aredhel. They were both elves, and she was not _wholly_ willing to 'marry' the guy either. But I don't feel Erica really set herself up for the baby because, in those times, there was no contraception. And young women didn't really think that they could get pregnant so easily, especially if it was just one time. But, I'm not trying to fight with you and I wholeheartedly accept your view. I do hope you stick with the story though :)**

 **Guest: Yeah, that's kinda why I changed it. I know that elves aren't supposed to rape each other because they die from it. They're so emotionally sensitive that they just give up on living. I'm not really sure how it would work between a human and an elf though and I do have a reason for _why_ Thranduil did it, it's just going to come up later in the story.**

 **shush child: Wooooo! Thank you so much :D I'm really glad you like the story and I hope this chapters ok for you. It's kinda short but it's really just a filler chapter :)**

* * *

 **I'm sorry if I'm not writing the story the way you want me to, but if you have ideas for the way you wan the story to go, _please_ just review! Really, I don't mind at all!**

 **Whether it's constructive criticism or tips or preferences on how the story should go, I'd absolutely love to hear them! So if you can, could you please review and tell me what you think of the story so far? It'd really mean a lot to me :D**

 **OH! And thank you to everyone who has voted on my poll so far! The response has been great ^-^**

 **I'm gonna keep it up a while longer, so if you haven't voted, you still can! I'll announce the results later :)**

 **Oh and I'm sorry this chapter is so short, it's more of a filler chapter.**

 **Elvish Translations:**

 ** _H_ _îr_ _vuin - my lord_**

 ** _No Feren? Prestad? - Yes Feren? Is there trouble?_**

 ** _Ú - no_**

 ** _ten is Mithrandir ar i dagnir uin i lhûg - it is Mithrandir and the Dragon Slayer_**

 _ **Tog hain - Bring them**_

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


	8. Where Erica Is Dragged To Negotiations

Her face lit up when she saw him stop abruptly, his whole body frozen as he realised the depth of what she said. She swore she heard a light chuckle come from behind her, but when she turned to see, the wizard was already walking past her.

She watched him follow the King back into the tent, and crinkled her nose in annoyance.

 _How easy it is for him to get people to follow him. To answer to his every call. It must be_ so _nice not to have t-_

'What did you mean by that?'

She almost screamed when she found her father standing directly in front of her, his hands crossed over his chest, and his glare unwavering.

She wrung her hands together nervously. She'd been so caught up in her childish thoughts that she'd forgotten her father had been standing there.

'Umm...' her eyes looked anywhere but at him, her mind spinning as she tried to think of a way out.

 _Ok, think Erica! What would he believe? Well he doesn't believe a lot of thin- that's besides the point! What can I use as an excuse? It has to be something he wasn't there fo-_

She almost kissed herself.

'It has to do with a conversation I had with him earlier,' her father looked at her, unconvinced, so she continued on, 'We were talking, and we got rather loud, so when we silenced for a few moments I heard one of the guards outside whisper that we sounded like an old married couple. I know the King heard too, because he looked rather angry at the description. So I was just teasing him earlier.'

She was a coward. And she was going to regret it, she knew.

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, and Erica noticed how tired he truly looked. The skin under his eyes was loose and slightly swollen, a purple hue blended over it. Her eyes flicked over the rest of his face and she took into account how old he was, a pang of sadness and fear forming inside of her, at the little time he might have left.

'Well, if that's all it was.'

She smiled awkwardly at him, her palms sticky with sweat.

'Yes! That was all it was. Just an inside joke. Hehe.'

He nodded at her and walked off, back to the city.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Her secret was safe, for now. But she didn't know how much longer she could keep it up. Especially since two of her siblings knew, _and_ the King himself!

Ooh, she was going to be in deep trouble when it all came out.

* * *

When Erica woke early the next morning, she was surprised to see that it was because her father was shaking her. She squinted her eyes at him in confusion as she sat up.

'You need to get up. The King wishes to visit the mountain, our armies are going to negotiate.'

'Negotiate?,' she mumbled sleepily as she rubbed at her eyes, 'With what?' she looked at her father blearily, the effect of waking early, and the energy used to heal her injuries, taking its toll.

'With the Heart of the Mountain.' he smiled at her, giddily.

She frowned at him.

'The what?'

'The Arkenstone.'

Her eyes widened in recognition and she leapt up.

'You mean the King's Jewel?! The one that belonged to Thrór?'

He stood up, and smiled at her.

'Aye, the very same.'

Erica lunged at him and pulled him into a bear hug.

'Well that's great! The jewel is practically priceless. The dwarves will most certainly want it back. There will be no need for war!'

Bard laughed, pulled her into another hug and spun her round in the air, before gently placing her back on the ground.

'Normally I wouldn't ask this of you Erica but...' he looked down, his mind racing as he searched for the right words.

'You want me to stay and look after my siblings? It is alright Da, you need not even ask. I will gladly watch them,' She beamed at him, but her smile slowly faltered as she saw him rub the back of his neck anxiously, 'Oh. Oh no. No, I'm not, no, I can't Da. I cannot look upon him, not so soon after - no.'

'Trust me Erica, it was not my decision, the King asked for you personally.' Erica stopped her pacing and turned to squint her eyes at her father.

'The King? Asked for me? To come to a negotiation?'

He nodded cautiously, as if afraid that he would set her off.

She frowned to herself and groaned in annoyance.

 _Can I not insult him once, without being summoned afterwards?!_

She stormed by her father, her arms at her sides.

'Fine.'

* * *

And so that was how she came to find herself sitting on a horse, directly next to the King of Mirkwood at the entrance to the Halls of Erebor.

'I did not look to see you here, _herves,_ but I am _glad_ you decided to join us _._ ' She glared over at him and she swore she saw his lips twitch slightly.

'Oh, ha ha. Like I had much of a choice. I still do not understand why I am needed he-'

He held one of his long slender fingers up to silence her as he turned to speak with her father. She crossed her arms in anger and looked up to the Heavens.

 _By Ilúvatar's will, how did it come to this?_

An image of her son came to mind and her frown turned to one of concern. She had told Sigrid and Bain to take themselves somewhere safe, and to protect each other. They had called her out on her worry, saying she was foolish for believing that the war was still going to happen, but still they heeded her warning and promised to be careful, _and_ that they would keep Legolas safe along with themselves.

She shivered slightly from the cold, the thin jacket she was wearing doing nothing to shield her from it.

She watched as her father and the King rode forward slightly, and she touched the hilt of her sword lightly, to comfort herself. She hoped beyond everything that she would not have to use it.

Her breath caught in her throat when an arrow smashed into the ground, at great speed, the wooden shaft splintering on impact into a thousand tiny pieces in front of them and she looked up to see Thorin himself, standing at the top of the barricade.

'I will put the next one between your eyes!'

Her eyes narrowed. This was not the same dwarf that had been in her home. Granted, she had never spoken to him, but she could tell that something was not right. And she had pretty good reason to believe that it was the Arkenstone's doing.

He drew his bow again and she looked on worriedly as the rest of the dwarves cheered and shook their own weapons. She noticed the injured one among the rest of his kin and was thankful that he had made it there alive.

She flinched when the sound of the Elves notching their arrows behind her reached her ears, and could feel her heartbeat begin to quicken. The dwarves' cheering stopped and she hated the silence that followed.

 _Please do not let it come to war. Please do not let it come to war._

She repeated this mantra over and over again in her mind, childishly hoping that it might come true if she said it enough times.

'We've come to tell you: payment of your debt has been offered...and accepted.'

'What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!'

 _Please do not let it come to war. Please do not let it come to war._

'We have this.'

Her father held up the stone and it terrified her how quickly she saw Thorin's face change.

'Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the King!'

 _Please do not let it come to war. Please do not let it come to war._

'And the King may have it – in our good will,' he slipped it back in his clothes, out of sight, 'But first he must honour his word.'

They waited in silence for the dwarf's response, the only sound being the quiet breathing of the army of men...and Erica.

'THE ARKENSTONE IS IN THIS MOUNTAIN! IT IS A TRICK!'

Erica shrunk at the volume of his voice, the anger and hatred in it reminding her of the insults she herself had received from the townspeople.

 _Please do not let it come to war. Please do not let it come to war._

She looked back up again and was surprised to see the hobbit there. She had thought he was still in Dale, for her father had told her about him and his brave, if foolish, act against Thorin.

She saw her father and the King exchange glances and she knew that they too had thought the same.

She looked on in fear as Thorin closed the distance between him and the hobbit and put her hand to her mouth when Thorin instructed the dwarves to throw him from the ramparts.

'No.' she squeaked when Thorin lunged forward and grabbed him, leading him over to the edge.

'IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BURGLAR...,' Erica, and some of the men, turned their heads at the wizard's voice, his sudden appearance only adding to the tension in the air, 'then please don't damage him. Return him to me! You're not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain, are you? Thorin, son of Thrain!'

Erica let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding as she saw the hobbit begin to climb down the rope.

'Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised.'

There was a tense moment of silence as everyone observed the wild demeanour of the King under the mountain.

'Give us your answer! Will you have peace or war?'

 _Please do not let it come to war. Please do not let it come to war._

Her eyes followed the movement of a single black raven, his wings as dark as coal, fly in from the right and perch itself next to the Dwarf King, a cold breeze gathering around her.

'I will have war!'

Erica shuddered out a breath, and her body sagged.

 _It has come to war..._

* * *

 ***Pokes head around corner* Please don't kill me. I haven't updated in ages, and I'm so sorry. The last time I updated this was in what, summer? Darn. Well...my excuse is school. Since I went back to school, I have had no time or motivation to continue this story, so thanks for sticking with me guys!**

 **It took me forever to get this chapter the way it is now, and I'm still not completely sure I like it. Ah well, c'est la vie.**

 **Oh and for all the new followers, welcome! :D It's great to see so many people taking an interest in this story. I hope you're all enjoying it so far.**

 **As for the next chapter, you'll be pleased to know I've started writing it, and will probably have it up soon as I'm currently studying for prelims and this is my procrastination escape (because who doesn't have one?)**

 **Ummm, I'm not sure what else to say...oh! The results of the poll! How could I forget?**

 **Ok so the results for 'Should the line of Durin survive in my story 'Son of a Thranduil?'' are:**

 **Yes -7**

 **Maybe -3**

 **Don't Care - 3**

 **No - 1**

 **So, it looks like you guys want them to survive! Thanks for voting everyone :)**

 **Oh, and Happy New Year! Let's make 2016 a good one :D**

 **Elvish Translations:**

 _ **herves - wife**_

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **kingofsmirkwood x**


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